Founded by Abram Kershaw (1861-1929) in Leeds in 1888, manufacturing and repairing scientific equipment; began to produce photographic equipment in early 1900s; moved to large site in Harehills Lane, Leeds in 1916; set up Kershaw Projector Company, in 1917, handling marketing of projectors and cine equipment, later becoming Kalee Limited; following first world war established strong links with Marion and Company; 1921 joined amalgamation 'Paget Photographic Manufacturers Ltd', diverting part of their manufacturing to producing Apem and Soho cameras; Kershaws left the APM group in 1928 but continued to manufacture and sell cameras through its dominant partnership in the successor company Soho Ltd; manufactured binocluars and optical equipment during second world war; subsiduary Kalee Ltd linked with Gaumont British Group to become GB-Kalee Limited; Kershaws continued to manufacture cameras post war but was taken over by British Optical and Precision Engineers Limited (BOPE), a subsiduary of the Rank Organisation, in 1947; shortly after Rank and Gaumont British ordered Kershaws to concentrate on manufacture of cinema projection equipment and drop production of binoculars and cameras; company declined, with Rank selling off a lot of plant in early 1960s, until only a caretaker was employed by 1981.